Bangladesh may keep Hathurusingha, Streak as coaches

Dhaka, April 1 (IANS) Coach Chandika Hathurusingha is likely to be rewarded for transforming Bangladesh into a rising power team in world cricket.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) may be looking to extend its contract with the Sri Lankan coach, reports bdnews24.com.

The BCB announced Hathurusingha’s appointment on May 19, 2014. Although his two-year contract began from July 1, he started working with the team sometime earlier.

Bangladesh had Hathurusingha at the helm when India toured Bangladesh in June that year.

BCB director Jalal Yunus suggested the board might also extend the contract with bowling coach Heath Streak who started his spell with Bangladesh in July 2014 as well.

“Everybody has an opinion but their (Bangladesh’s) performance over the (last) two years was very good. So, I guess their (Hathurusingha and Streak) contracts will be renewed,” Yunus said on Friday.

With Hathurusingha in charge, Bangladesh won three Tests, lost three others, and drew four. In these two years, they won 18 One-Dayers out of 29 while one was abandoned.

Bangladesh won five One-Day series on the bounce during his tenure and they also reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in Australia and New Zealand last year.

The Twenty20 format had been a puzzle to Bangladesh, but under the guidance of Hathurusingha, Mashrafe, Bin Mortaza and his men have started finding their feet in the shortest format.

They reached the final of the first-ever T20 Asia Cup earlier this month, beating Sri Lanka and Pakistan on their way. Then they put up a brave fight against India and Australia in the Super 10s of the World Twenty20.

Bangladesh had bagged two victories in 22 T20 Internationals, lost 11 while two ties had been abandoned.